Town celebrates Queen's 90th with community event

Boston marked The Queen's 90th birthday in style at the weekend with a street party for VIP guests and a "royal" attendance. The "royal" was crowned the lookalike Queen by Boston Mayor Cllr Stephen Woodliffe.

Regal events took place in Pescod Square and Boston Market Place on Saturday and Sunday. Volunteer worker Doreen Booth was Queen for the day on Sunday. One of Doreen's earliest memories is going to the Lincolnshire Show with her parents when guests of honour were Queen Elizabeth I and King George VI.

Among other fun events were hugely popular teddy bear competitions - best dressed Queen teddy bear for shop windows and brave teddies abseiling down the tower at Boston Stump.

Parents and children went on a teddy bear town trail, spotting the best-dressed Queen teddies in shop windows. One two-year-old was so taken with the teddy at Timothy Guy, in Pen Street, that it had to go home with her. When judges called all that was left in its place was a note of explanation, signed ER.

Joint winners of the shop window display competition were RU Crafty in George Street and Sweet Treats Cake Boutique in Horncastle Road.

Boris, the head baker, at Sweet Treats and the Beefeater teddy at RU Crafty

Boston Stump repeated its Bear Challenge - appropriately renamed the Royal Bear Challenge. This great community event involved sponsoring brave teddy bears to abseil down the Stump.

Do our bums look big in this? The royal descent bears of the Deputy Mayor and Mayoressand Barnabas and prayers for the bears in the Stump before their daring tower abseil

Among the brave volunteers were two teddies especially made for the event by Deputy Mayoress Helen Staples. They made their tandem abseil on behalf of Helen and Deputy Mayor Maureen Dennis.

Safely back on terra firma, and certificates for mayoral bears Betty

Winner of the competition to bake a cake fit for a queen was Daiva Capaite, from Diva's Cakes in West Street.

Regal revelry commenced at Pescod Square Shopping Centre on Saturday, where the free event included a jubilant jewels craft workshop, allowing little princes and princesses to make crowns and tiaras, with the opportunity to create bear-sized versions for Sunday's Bear Parade.

During the street party on Sunday the Market Place was decorated with bunting and flags, and live music played covering songs from the 1920s right through to modern day.

People brought along deck chairs and picnic baskets, joining the invited VIPs from local charities. Those invited to the street party enjoyed traditional street party food and live entertainment at no cost to them or their charity.

The event was organised by Boston Town Team and Jenny Elwick, from Boston Area Chamber of Commerce, which is behind the Town Team, said: "We all had a wonderful time, the weather certainly didn't dampen anyone's spirits. It was great to see so many charities and volunteers come together in recognition of the tremendous support they provide within our community.

Patriotic guests at the Market Place street party. All took home a commemorative Queen's 90th mug

"No better example of that was Simon Robinson, who is one of the presenters at Boston Pilgrim Radio Station, who again kindly volunteered to compere the proceedings. He did an amazing job.

"Many suppliers provided their products complementary or discounted. Mick George provided bins and disposed of them free of charge, Woodville Road Co-operative provided jellies for the picnic boxes and many businesses provided prizes for our delightful Queen lookalike winner.

"Doreen enjoyed her day - l would say as much as Queen Elizabeth enjoyed hers. Doreen has a number of engagements lined up, including a trip to Blackfriars Theatre with a friend and a visit to the Mayor's Parlour. Rather fittingly Doreen is also a volunteer and, like the Queen, is an amazing lady. Doreen volunteers at the Len Medlock Centre in Boston."

The Teddy Bear Trail displays will remain in shop windows all this week.

Jenny said: "It was incredibly difficult to choose a winner as businesses really did go to town with their bears and displays. R U Crafty and Sweet Treats Cake Boutique really did shine when it came to creativity, making their bear outfits from scratch."

Roger and Molly Fixter, of Boston Disability Forum, said: "We had wonderful time at the party. We sat opposite The Queen, who was getting quite excited and nervous as time went by! We were really impressed with all the organising that must have gone into the event and we want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone involved. Well done everyone, give yourselves a big pat on the back, it's well deserved."